The Blue Action Fund announces a call for grant proposals focusing on ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) to climate change in the Western Indian Ocean. Grants are made to NGOs with projects that focus on protecting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and supporting sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities. The Fund aims to support projects protecting and restoring adaptation-relevant coastal ecosystems to reduce climate change-related risks for vulnerable coastal communities. The fund will allocate €2-5 million per project. Applicants are expected to provide substantial co-funding for the project. NGOs with projects which are situated in Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania are eligible to apply. The application deadline is 24 May 2020. Find the call
marine/coastal
Flemish Inter-University Council — International Training Programme on ‘eR-Biostat’
VLIR-UOS is the secretariat of Flemish universities for development cooperation, with funding by Belgian Development Cooperation. VLIR-UOS announces the International Training Programme on ‘eR-Biostat’ that will take place at Hasselt University, Belgium. The program aims to train the participants in using and developing a new E-learning system in Biostatistics/Statistics. Eligibility for scholarships extends to applicants in 31 developing countries of Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. Candidates apply directly to the Flemish universities that offer the programs, requesting scholarship support. Application deadline is 15 January 2020. Biostatistics Training Program
World Bank — Ideas for Action Competition 2020
Ideas for Action is a knowledge platform of the World Bank Group and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the Wharton School. The annual Ideas for Action competition seeks innovative ideas and actionable projects to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Past winners include water solutions for better fish farm yields, women-led business models to improve sustainable access to energy, web based solutions for agriculture processes, and many more. Teams must consist of two to six members and may be formed across different schools, institutions, companies, or countries. Students and young professionals between the ages of 18-35 years from around the world are invited to participate. The winners of the competition present their ideas at the annual meeting of the World Bank Group, receive support from a project incubator and coaching. The deadline for submissions is 29 February 2020. Ideas for Action
U.S. National Science Foundation — Geography and Spatial Sciences Program 2020
The NSF funds an annual competition for research on the geographic distributions and interactions of human, physical, and biotic systems on the Earth’s surface. Projects on a variety of topics U.S. and international (through subawards) qualify for support if they offer promise of enhancing geographical knowledge, concepts, theories, methods, and their application to societal problems and concerns. Past projects include several in the world’s developing countries related to environmental disasters, waste management, marine spatial planning, wildlife conservation, and others. The deadline for regular proposals is 03 September 2020. Link
Mostra Ecofalante de Cinema Ambiental — Latin-American Film Competition 2020
The 9th ‘Mostra Ecofalante de Cinema Ambiental’ invites entries to the Latin-American Competition in Environmental Cinema. Socio-environmental categories include energy, water, climate change, consumption, people and places, environmental activism, accumulated waste, contamination or export, socio-environmental resources, green spaces, urban areas, food, green economy, globalization, wildlife, and sustainability, among others. Selected films compete in the categories Best Long Film by the Jury (over 60 minutes), with a prize of R$15 thousand; Best Short Film by Jury (up to 59 minutes), with a prize of R$5 thousand; and Best Film by the Public. The deadline for submission is 15 January 2020. (Note: Information in Portuguese) Find out more
U.S. Department of State — Young Pacific Leaders Conference 2020
The US Department of State, in partnership with Cultural Vistas, accepts applications from emerging leaders (ages 25-35) across the Pacific to attend the Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Conference in Papua New Guinea (April 2020). The Conference will include informational sessions, skills workshops, cultural activities, and site visits to deepen participants’ capacity to address regional issues related to Education; Environment and Resource Management; Civic Leadership; and Economic and Social Development. All travel, lodging and meals will be provided to selected participants. After the YPL Conference, all YPL alumni will be eligible to compete for small grant funding to support projects in their countries. Applications are due by 03 February 2020. Find out more
Interreg Baltic Sea Region — Seed Money Call
Interreg Baltic Sea Region provides seed money to support the preparation of projects in line with the Action Plan of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). The Programme area covers eight EU Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, parts of Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden) and two partner countries (Norway and parts of Russia). Seed money applications can be submitted by national, regional or local authorities. The total budget of a seed money project is €50 thousand. Draft applications have to be submitted by 09 December 2019. Find details
Center for Mediterranean Integration — Mediterranean Water Heroes Contest
The Center for Mediterranean Integration and partners invite applications for the 4th Mediterranean Water Heroes Contest. Winners will participate in the CMI 2020 World Water Day workshop in Murcia, Spain (March 2020) with covered travel and accommodation. World Water Day 2020 will focus on “Water and Climate Change.” Young researchers, entrepreneurs and activists (18-35 years) working on water challenges in the Mediterranean from Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Montenegro, Palestinian Territories, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey are eligible to apply. Team applications will be accepted. Applications can be submitted in English and Arabic. Deadline for applications is 15 December 2019. Find the contest
European Commission — Removal of Marine Plastics and Litter
The European Commission seeks proposals for approaches or technologies to improve marine spatial planning and conservation (or restoration) of coastal ecosystems. This call focuses on the demonstration of technologies to clean the seafloor and the surface of nearshore waters from historically accumulated plastics and microplastics as well as from other accumulated marine litter. The Commission considers proposals of up to €6 million. International cooperations and legal entities established in EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (full list in the call document) are eligible to apply. The deadline is 22 January 2020. Find the call
European Union — Support for Entrepreneurs in the MENA Region
The Next Society launches its 3rd call for applications to join the Start-up Booster Track, a program that offers tailor-made support to Mediterranean startups. Participants will learn how to raise fund through workshops and training. The track is open for innovative early-stage startups with products or services in the following areas: Tech & Software, Food, Environment, Energy, Health, Social & Culture. Start-ups need to be established in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, or Tunisia to be eligible. The deadline for applications is 15 October 2019. About The Next Society